Beet blocking machine



Oct. 28, 1941. QH. A. scHMl-rz ErAL 2,260,685

BEET BLOCKING MACHINE Filed May 22, '1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l me/Moz Haben* mz eo H. W

.lt oroezder. 3511 Oct. 28, 1941.

H. Al scHMl-rz ET AL BEET BLOCKING MACHINE Filed May 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 28, 1941 Hubert A.

Schnitz,0ttawa, and Leo H.A Wortn y knetter, GlandorL'Qho Application May v2.2, 1939, serial No. 275,048

ysolaimsf (ci. sli-41s) y This' invention relates to an improved beet blocking machine.

One object of the invention is to provide a rbeet blocking machine which AWill be operated for effecting, mechanically, a hoeing operation, the invention having proven. highly successful in use in hoeing beet fields.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character having hoes which may be guided in their travel so that a highly eiiicient hoeing operation will take place- A further object of the invention is to provide a beet blocking machine which may be readily driven from the power take-01T of a tractor.

As a further object, the invention seeks toi provide a beet blocking machine which will simulate in operation the effective beetblocking, as done by hand.

And a still further object of vthe invention is to provide a machine of this type which will be capable of eiecting beet blocking at a higher rate of speed than when doneby hand.

Other and `incidental objects of the invention not mentioned hereinbefore, will become apparent during the course of the following description.

Reference is now had to the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 isa top plan View of our improved beet blocking machine,

Figure2 is aside elevation of the machine, and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectonal view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Y

Reference isnow hadto the drawings with more particularity, wherein similar numerals of referencev will be seen to designate like parts throughout the various views.

In said drawings, the numeral I indicates in general the frame of our improvedbeet blocking machine. The frame I includes front and rear rails 2 Yand 3 and side rails 4 and 5. In order to connect the `machine to .the hitch of a tractor, we provide a hitoh'shown generally as 6, having hitch bars 1 and 8. The hitch bars 1 and 8 have their corresponding inner ends connected to the opposite` corresponding ends of the front rail 2. The forward or outer ends of the hitch bars 1 and 8 are connected-to each other and to a hitch member 9. f

The frame I has a central rail I which extends transversely of said frame and has its opposite ends connected to the mid portions of the side rails 4 and'5.'V It should be understood, at this point, that each of the rails of the frame and the hitch are of heavy inverted L-shaped Will be assured. 4.0A

channel' iron so that a rigid frame construction will be assured.

` Mounted on the frame I and extending between the front rail 2 and the center rail I0, between the mid portion of the'center rail and the side rail 4, .is a supporting rail II. A supporting rail I2, of similar construction, extends between the center rail l0 and the rear rail 3, between the mid portion of the rail I0 and the side rail 5. The rails II and I2 formsupports for the corresponding inner lends of guide tracks I3 and I4. The guide track I3 extends from the `side rail 4, medially between the front rail 2 fand the center rail II), to the supporting rail H,4 while the guide track yI4 extends from the side rail 5,'medially between the rail I0 and the rea-r rail 3 to the mid portion of the supporting rail I2.` As bestfseen in Figure 2 of the drawings, the rails I3 and I4 are eachprovided with overhanging anges- I5 which serve effectively to guide operating bars I6 and I1 whichare slidably mounted in the tracks I3 and I4 respectively. The bars I6 and I1 areprovided at their corresponding outer ends with openings I8.

Swingingly connected with the operating bars le and l1 are hoes le and zu. The hoes I9 and 20.each includes heads 2l, having curved end `portions'22 and connecting elements 23, which connectingelements are swingingly connected to the -bars I6 and I1 at the openings I8. The other end portionsof the connecting elements 23 are welded or otherwise suitably connected to the heads 2|., said elements having extensions 24, the purpose of` which will appear hereinafter. It should be understood that the hoe heads 2|,are It has portions 22, a more effective hoeing operation 4Mounted on the frame I are crank frames 25 and 26. As willl be clearly seen inFigure 1 of the drawings, the crankframe 25r is located on the side rail 4.and extends from its mid portion to Vthefront end thereof, while the crank frame 26 is located on the siderail 5 and extends from the center rail. I0 to the rear rail 3. vThe vframe 25 .includes spaced arms 21, 28, 29 and 30. The arms 21'and 30, as best seen in Figure 3, extendv laterally rand upwardly and terminate in bearing plates 3l. The arms-28 and 29 `extend laterally andupwardly, in the same manner as Ythe arms 21 and 30,1, and are also provided with bearing plates, it being understood that the lower corresponding ends of the arms 28. and 29 are secured to the side rail 4. It should be understood that the arms 21 and 3|] may be formed by extending the front rail 2 and the center rail I0. Bearings 32 are carried on the bearing plates 3I of each of the arms 21, 28, 29 and 30. Journaled by the bearings 32 is a crank shaft 33 having a crank 34, which is disposed to revolve between the arms 28 and 29. A connecting rod 35 connects the crank 34 with a loop 36 on the operating bar I6.

The frame 26 is of similar construction to the frame 25 and includes arms 31, 38, 39 and 40 which are secured to the side rail 5, like the arms 21 and 30. The arms 31 and 40 may be formed by extending the center rail and rear rail. respectively, upwardly and laterally. The arms 31, 38, 39 and 40 carry bearings 4I Vin longitudinal alinement, at their free upper ends.

A crank shaft 42, of similar construction to the crank shaft 33, is journaled by the bearings 4I. Said crank shaft 42 has a crank 43 on which is swingingly mounted a connecting rod 44, which has its opposite end swingingly mounted in a loop 45 on the operating bar I 1. The crank 43 is mounted to revolve between the arms 38 and 39. Mounted on the crank shaft 33 adjacent the outer edge of the arm 39 is a sprocket wheel 46. A sprocket wheel 41 is mounted adjacent the inner edge of the arm31'. I

Mounted on the center rail I medially of its length is a standard 48 having a bearing 49 att its upper end. The'standard 48 and bearing 49 are adapted to mount one end of a driving shaft I) on which' is mounted adouble sprocket 5I. Chains 52 and 53 connect, respectively, the

sprockets 4s and 31 with the double sprocket 5|. i*

The opposite end of the shaft 50 is journaled by a bearing 54 which is carried on a pedestal 55, said pedestal being mountedy on the front rail 2 medially of its width. A universal 56A is carried on the forward end of the shaft 5D, forwardly1 of the front rail' 2 and the pedestal 55, and is adapted for receiving thereabout a driving shaft from the tractor through suitable gearing-mechanism.

In order to permit operators to guide the hoes? I9 and 2D, we provide seats 51 and 58 which are mounted, respectively, on the front and 'rear portions of the side rails 4 and 5. As will be observed, the'seats 51 and 58 are located in alinement with theoperating bars I6 and I1.

Swiveled wheels 59 and 60 are mounted in casters 6I, located near the opposite end portions of therear rail 3, said wheels supporting the machine at the rear end thereof. Wheels 62, which depend from the front rail 2 near the ends thereof, support the front end of the machine when it is at rest and not connected to a tractor or the like. Rests 63 are mounted on the rails 2,

3 and I9 and provide support for the feet of theV operator when the machine is being moved from place to place.

The operationof the invention will now be described. The machine is connected to a tractor, by the hitch 6, and the power take-off of the tractor is connected with the universal 56. should be understood that any other type of transmission may be employed for imparting movement to the driving shaft 50. After the machine has been moved to the beet field and,

the hoes I9 and 20. In order to effect the guiding of the hoes, handles may be secured to the extensions 24 and have their opposite ends held by the operators. When the driving shaft 50 is caused to rotate, rotative movement will be imparted through the double sprocket 5I, the chains 52 and 53, the crank shafts 33 and 42, to the connecting rods 35 and 44 which connecting rods will have their outer ends moving backward and forward, for effectingbackward and forward movement of the operating bars I6 and I1. 'Ihe operating bars I6 and I1 are, as heretofore explained, mounted to slide in the tracks I3 and I4. Backward and forward movement of thebars I6 and I1 will effect hoeing strokes for they hoes I9 and 20. These hoes will, of course, move laterally with respect to the longitudinal dimension of the machine. 'I'hat is to say, the hoes will move transversely of the direction of the machine in mo-tion. It has been found that, when the machine is in operation, under normal operating conditions, it travels about one-half to two-thirds of a mile per hour. At this speed, the hoeswill make between thirty-live and fifty strokes a minute. Withthe hoes operating in this manner, the farmer is enabled to hoe'his beets so closely that only a very few doubles remain. These doubles may easily be picked out as the machine moves along.

Our best blocking machine will operate satisfactorily in any type of soil. Its operation compares very favorably with hand blocking.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: y'

1. yIn a beet blocking machine, a frame having front, rear and side rails, a vcenterrail connecting the side rails, supporting rails, tracks carried between the supporting rails and the side rails, operating bars slidable in the tracks for reciprocatory movement therein, crank frames, crank shafts carried by the frames, connecting rods operatively connecting the crank shafts with the operating bars, hoes swivelly `connected with the operating bars, a standard a drive shaft carried by the standard, means forimparting rotative movement from the drive shaft to the crank shafts, and a universal ncarried by the drive shaft, the drive shaftpbeing, operable for rotating the crank shafts and shifting the operating bars whereby the hoes will be reciprocated in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal dimension of the first-mentioned frame.

2. In a beet blocking machine as recited in claim 1, wherein the hoes are provided with extensions adapted to be engaged for permitting swinging of the hoes during reciprocatory movement.

3. In a beet blocking machine, a frame having front and yrear Arails and side rails, supporting wheels carried by the frame, a center rail, tracks carried by the frame, supporting rails extending between the center rail and the front and rear rails, respectively, and supporting the 'corresponding inner ends of the tracks, operating bars slidably mounted in thetracks, hoes swivelly connected with the operating. bars, and means carried by the frame and operatively connected with the operating bars and movable for imparting reciprocatory motion to the operating bars and hoes.

HUBERT A. SCHMITZ. LEO H. WORTKOETTER. 

